With an aim to commercialize cutting edge technologies contributing to the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat, Technology Development Board (TDB), a statutory body under Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India has extended support to M/s Planys Technologies Pvt. Ltd., an IIT Madras incubated start-up based in Chennai for commercialization of Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs) essential to inspection and monitoring of ports & terminals, process industry plants and civil structures. TDB has pledged to support ₹1.5 crores out of ₹3.6 crores of the total project cost.

This deep tech start-up aims to develop cutting edge robotics and a sophisticated AI-enabled digital analytics platform that will be implemented extensively across the Inspection-maintenance-repair (IMR) industry. The company has been incubated in IIT Madras and mentored by senior professors and is promoted by well-qualified professionals. Since inception, the company has delivered 200+ contracts across 8 industries, has indigenously developed 6 prototypes, has filed/in process of filing 30+ patents and working on some cutting-edge R&D projects like Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT). The company is recipient of National Startup Award, 2020 by Startup India and is also working on expanding its footprint internationally to regions like Europe, Middle East and SE Asia.

The company has now diversified into other potential areas of remote services and maintenance of ports, ships, refineries, oil tankers, water tanks and steel structures based on new technology using Non-destructive Technology (NDT). The company approached TDB for commercializing the application of their ROVs with suitable enhancements. The funded project envisages building of 3 ROVs for inspection and monitoring of ports & terminals, process industry plants and civil structures.

(a)        ROV for Ports and Terminals- This will make the overall inspection cost effective, safer and 3 times faster than traditional methods. This will also save the local environment and maintain ecological balance as marine growth can grow densely in some regions.

(b)        ROV for Process Industry- This is very attractive to the industry as it will increase their operational efficiency (no shutdown required) and much safer than sending people inside. Several process industries can benefit from this in India and this will be for the first time a free-floating ROV will be able perform this.

(c)        ROV for Civil Structures- This will allow the integrity testing of concrete structures that will help the asset managers understand the health better. These will allow them to detect defects inside the concrete structures that are perennially in water. Planys also intends to upgrade to LINE LASERs for defect quantification (especially depth of the cavities) which today is impossible to do. This robotic system developed will be one of its kind in the global industry.

Sh. Rajesh Kumar Pathak, IP&TAFS, Secretary, TDB said that, “TDB has been working with an ‘pro-entrepreneurship’ attitude aimed to help startups working across sector and make ‘India’ one of the biggest start-up ecosystems globally. TDB has been the backbone of the entire start-up ecosystem by providing financial support, and nurturing entrepreneurs in transforming their ideas into business ventures. Similarly, M/s Planys Technologies has come up with a pioneering technology that will enhance inspection and monitoring of ageing infrastructure with its ROVs at ports & terminals, process industry plants and civil structures.”

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